1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrying apparatus for moving a golf bag, and more particularly to a carrying apparatus for a golf bag, the apparatus being attached to the golf bag so as to make it easy to move the golf bag.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
In conventional, for example of this kind of carrying apparatus for a golf bag, there has been proposed a carrying apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 63-8067 (hereinafter, refer to xe2x80x9ca conventional apparatusxe2x80x9d). The conventional apparatus is provided with a mounting table plate for mounting a golf bag thereon, tire wheels mounted to both sides of one end of the mounting table plate, a fixed engagement body stood fixedly on an end portion in the tire wheel side of the mounting table plate, a movable engagement body opposing to the fixed engagement body each other and provided so as to freely slide in a direction toward or apart from the fixed engagement body and freely fix to the table plate at a desired position, a belt provided with a buckle at one end and connecting at another end to one side of the fixed engagement body, and a belt having a predetermined length and provided so as to connect at one end thereof to another side of the fixed engagement body.
In the conventional apparatus, the movable engagement body is fixed to the mounting table plate at a position having a suitable interval with respect to the fixed engagement body, a bottom portion (a cylinder portion) of the golf bag is inserted between both of the engagement bodies so as to mount on the mounting table plate, and both the belts is fastened to attach. Further, the structure is made such that the golf bag is inclined to the tire wheel side in this state, and the golf bag is moved while the tire wheels being rotated. Accordingly, it is easy to move the golf bag, and it is possible to apply the apparatus to several kinds of golf bags having different sizes of the cylinder body in the bottom portion by adjusting the interval distance of the movable engagement body with respect to the fixed engagement body.
However, the conventional apparatus mentioned above has problems to be improved in view of the following points. That is, since the conventional apparatus is structured such that the movable engagement body is formed into an L-shaped metal fitting, a nut is assembled in a portion of a horizontal plate of the metal fitting, a long hole directed in a longitudinal direction is formed in the mounting table plate, the tip end of a screw inserted into the long hole is engaged with the nut so as to be fastened thereto, and the movable engagement body is fixed to the fixed engagement body, a fixing operation of the movable engagement body is troublesome.
Further, since the conventional apparatus is structured such that the inner wall surface of the fixed engagement body and the inner wall surface of the movable engagement body are formed into curved engagement wall surfaces having substantially the same radius of curvature so as to engage in such a manner as to hold the cylinder portion of the bottom portion of the golf bag between both of the engagement wall surfaces from both sides, it is possible to stably engage in the case that a curvature of an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder portion in the bottom portion of the golf bag is substantially the same level as the curvature of the wall surfaces, however, in the case that a difference between the curvature of the cylinder portion and the curvature of the engagement wall surfaces is large, for example, in the case of a cylinder portion having a small diameter, an engagement state becomes unstable even when both of the engagement bodies are brought into contact with the cylinder portion. As a result, fixing (mounting) of the cylinder portion becomes unstable, so that there is a risk that the carrying apparatus falls out from the cylinder portion.
The present invention is made by taking the matters mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a carrying apparatus for a golf bag, which is easily attached to the golf bag, fits to golf bags having various kinds of sizes, keeps a stability and can be securely attached.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrying apparatus for a golf bag comprising:
a front main body of a truck mounting a golf bag thereon;
a rear main body of a truck provided so as to oppose to the front main body; and
a fastening belt provided in connection with the front main body of the truck and the rear main body of the truck,
wherein the front main body of the truck has a body, tire wheels rotatably provided in both side portions in a front end side of the body, curved engagement wall surfaces formed in an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion at the rear end of the body from one side of the body to another side thereof in a curve at a predetermined curvature, a plate-like portion for a load carrying platform horizontally protruding rearward from a rear end bottom portion of the body, and an engagement member provided in the body so as to be positioned between both the curved engagement wall surfaces in such a manner as to freely move in the longitudinal direction and be urged rearward by a spring, a surface of the engagement member is formed into a curved surface curved at a smaller curvature than that of the curved engagement wall surfaces, the rear main body of the truck has a body, curved engagement wall surfaces formed in an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion at the front end of the body from one side of the body to another side thereof in a curve at the same curvature as that of the former curved engagement wall surfaces, a plate-like portion for a load carrying platform horizontally protruding forward from a front end bottom portion of the body, and an adjusting engagement member provided in the body so as to be positioned between both the curved engagement wall surfaces in such a manner as to freely move in the longitudinal direction, engaged with an adjusting screw member rotatably provided in the body, and provided so as to move forward or backward by rotating the screw member clockwise or counterclockwise, a surface of the engagement member is formed into a curved surface at substantially the same curvature as that of the curved surface of the engagement member in the front main body of the truck, and both the load carrying platform plate-like portions are relatively engaged with and connected to each other so as to freely slide in the longitudinal direction, thereby moving the front main body of the truck and the rear main body of the truck to close to each other by fastening the fastening belt.
In accordance with this invention, the adjusting engagement member is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical bottom portion of the golf bag by rotating the adjusting screw member of the rear main body of the truck so as to forward move the adjusting engagement member, and on the contrary, the curved engagement wall surface of the body in the rear main body is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical bottom portion by rearward moving the engagement member. Further, due to a positional relationship of the adjusting engagement member with respect to the curved engagement wall surface, it is possible to bring both of the engagement wall surface and the engagement member into contact with the cylindrical bottom portion.
On the other hand, when pressing the engagement member of the front main body of the truck against the spring force, the engagement member moves to a forward side, and when releasing the pressing force, the engagement member is pressed back due to a spring force and is returned to an original position. Further, the front main body of the truck and the rear main body of the truck can be freely moved close to each other and apart from each other by sliding both the load carrying platform plate-like portions. Accordingly, it is possible to stably and securely attach the golf bag by rotating the adjusting screw member so as to adjust the position of the adjusting engagement member in correspondence to the size of the bottom portion of the golf bag, mounting the golf bag on the load carrying platform plate-like portion and fastening the belt.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrying apparatus for a golf bag as recited in the invention mentioned above, further comprising handle apparatuses attached to an upper end portion of an opening of the golf bag, wherein the handle apparatuses are provided so as to face to each other at a predetermined interval, and have mounting device main bodies provided with a pair of fitting tube bodies of predetermined lengths having open upper ends and mounting hook metal fittings, handle portions provided with a pair of length adjusting rods having predetermined lengths and grips disposed so as to connect upper ends of both the rods and provided so as to fitly insert both the rods to both the tube bodies in such a manner as to freely slide in the axial direction, stoppers provided in upper ends of both the fitting tube bodies so as to freely lock and release both the rods with both the tube bodies to fix and unfix at optional positions, and fastening belts fixedly mounted to the lower end sides of the mounting device main bodies.
In accordance with this invention, in addition to the operational effect due to the invention mentioned above, it is possible to smoothly and well perform a traction operation at a time of moving the golf bag.
In the present invention, each of the curved engagement wall surfaces in the front main body of the truck and the rear main body of the truck and both the curved surfaces in the engagement member and the adjusting engagement member can employ a structure lined with an elastic plate material. In the present invention, a pressure of the spring of the engagement member in the front main body of the truck can be structured such as to be adjustable. Further, in the present invention, a leg corresponding to the tire wheels can be provided in the lower end of the rear main body of the truck.